Teacher Reflections: How Do I Draw a Cylinder?

By using a soda can! The final project that I do with my 4th graders is to introduce shading a form. The form we start with is a cylinder, but since I don't have enough cylinders for students to observe, I just use soda cans. Now, I'm not condone giving children soda, especially during a school day, so I go to the lounge's recycle bin, rinse out cans and put them on the tables.

We begin talking about the shapes we can find in a soda can form. From there, we start drawing. We spend about half of the class observing, sketching, and perfecting our cylinder-drawing skills. The last half, we discuss how we can use a soda can as a beginning to an artwork. We talk about developing a creative approach to the artwork such as creating a pattern of soda cans, or drilling holes into the sides of the cans. I also encourage to focus on the details they see in the logo design and the wrinkles in the can.

We'll spend some time working on color and shading with color pencils before the year is it.

#sodacan #drawing #4thgrade #teacherreflections